1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power supply systems, and more particularly, to a modular power supply system having a unibody chassis for housing two blind-mating power supply modules which are interconnected to a system via a printed circuit board assembly. The chassis and power supply assembly of the present invention facilitate quick and convenient installation, removal and replacement of the power supply modules and printed circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Over the past decade, personal computer systems have significantly increased in performance. Along with this advance is the need for continuously and reliably supplying power to the computer system so as to minimize loss of data and to provide continual access to the computerized information. Typical computer systems are serviced by a single power supply module, which acts as a single point of failure in the event that the power supply module malfunctions, causing delay and user down time. In addition, while systems exist which allow the user to replace a malfunctioning power supply module with a functioning unit by simply plugging in the new unit, in most cases, the new unit cannot be directly plugged in while the system is running and plugged into an alternating current outlet, and thus the power supply module is not hot swappable.
Accordingly, there is a need in the technology for a power supply system which provides power supply modules which not only are redundant and hot swappable, but are also easily accessible and blind-mated to a printed circuit board assembly.
Most computer components such as power supplies and printed circuit boards are mounted to the housing or chassis by means of fasteners such as screws. These removable parts are candidates for upgrades and replacements and, as a result, need to be easily accessible. In many cases such as this, the use of removable fasteners (like screws) creates a dangerous situation as the fasteners may easily fall into and cause shorts in components such as drives, power supplies, or circuit boards during installation and removal.
In addition, while power supply-related problems are often easily isolated to a specific component, removal of the component generally involves the removal of mounting fasteners, such as screws, and the disconnection of electrical connectors, which creates additional inconvenience and delay. Moreover, the new or reconditioned power supply component must be manipulated into place within the chassis and must be aligned properly so as to be installed correctly. Such removal and installation increases the amount of time required to service the power supply components, resulting in higher service costs and greater delay in servicing.
Thus, there exists a need in the technology for a power supply system having a single strong chassis which houses and secures all components such as power supply modules and the requisite printed circuit boards, while facilitating quick and convenient removal, replacement and upgrade of the power system.
Finally, computer systems that include redundant power supplies and other computer components are typically housed in a chassis that is not easily movable. This is a precaution to minimize damage to the computer components when the computer system is being moved. However, in an office environment, a computer system which functions as a server may need to be relocated several times during its useful life. As such, there is a need for providing a computer system that is robust and movable and which also can be reliably secured once it is positioned.